Foltz Folklife Foundation
What is the Foltz Folklife Foundation?
The Foltz Folklife family is made up of artists, collectors, and friends of Ned Foltz and the late Gwen Foltz. The Foltz’s own the Foltz Pottery Shop in Reinholds, PA at 225 N Peartown Rd in Reinholds, PA where Ned has been creating pottery since 1962. Ned and his late wife started holding pottery shows in the late 1970s. During those years, many people walked through the pottery shop and became long-time customers. These faithful customers and family felt there was a need to document the history of the Foltz Pottery shop and the folk artists who joined Ned and Gwen in their pottery journey.
Why Folklife?
It is the way of life of a rural or traditional community. Folklife refers to the living traditions currently practiced and passed down by word of mouth. Traditions, customs, stories, and special objects help us to feel connected to each other. It tells us about who we are, where we come from, what we are connected to, and what makes us unique.
If you spent any time at the Foltz Pottery Shop, it was filled with traditions. Gwen always provided a light lunch and used many traditional recipes to share the cuisine of the local Pennsylvania Dutch culture. She created special cookbooks that included her tasty recipes so she could share the tradition with others.
Customers went to the shop to buy a piece of pottery. Each piece had a story to go with it. Knowing the story of the piece that was purchased made it very special. Ned was never trained to make pottery. He just did it. Ned is an artisan of the folk art revival.
What is Folk Art?
Wares made by the hands of a craftsperson serve a decorative or utilitarian purpose usually by untrained artists. Tools were usually few and often multipurpose. Most folk art has a recognizable style and method in crafting its pieces, which allows it to be recognized and attributed to a single individual or a group of individuals from the same geographical region.
Our purpose is to create authentic experiences by providing educational programs and publications to help preserve art forms and traditions so the younger generation can keep the knowledge of traditions from vanishing. We want to document the collective history of Foltz Pottery and also the stories of local folk artists who have been involved in Foltz Pottery events through the years.
The Foundation raises funds to provide grants and scholarships to students and emerging folk artists interested in the creative arts and provides funding for our publication efforts.
How can you help the Foundation continue its interest in folk art traditions through education, preservation, and experiences?
Become a Member
Do you have a genuine interest or passion for folk art? You can be the change. You can make a difference in the art community by becoming a member of the board. The foundation is not only interested in pottery, but other types of folk art. 80% of the time our meetings are held virtually. We currently meet once a month at 7:30 p.m. Let any one of the board members know you are interested or contact us via email using the form on our contact page.
Become a Volunteer
Join us to contribute to our mission and vision. You can share your skills and talents during our events or even in the planning of events. We are always looking for new ideas. Contact Us now
Support the Foundation Financially
Donations throughout the year are always accepted. We are a non-profit and therefore donations are tax-deductible. You can mail a check to us using the address on our contact page or click on the donate button.
